President Obama described the daring nighttime raid on Osama bin Laden’s Pakistani compound as one of the “longest 40 minutes of my life,” giving his first detailed account Sunday of the plot to capture the world’s most wanted terrorist.

The mood inside the Situation Room was “very tense,” and it only intensified when one of the helicopters went down early on in the operation, Obama said on CBS’s “60 Minutes.”

“There were big chunks of time in which all we were doing was just waiting,” Obama said. “And it was the longest 40 minutes of my life with the possible exception of when [daughter] Sasha got meningitis when she was three months old and I was waiting for the doctor to tell me that she was all right.”

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74 Responses to “60 minutes”

I don’t have a way to view it, so hopefully some of you will share what he says or post any links available later.. I’m guessing it’ll be available on 60 minutes website or whitehouse.gov later in the week. I don’t doubt that he is awesome as ever tonight.

I wrote our wonderful President a letter this afternoon and discussed the abomination of torturers being provided bandwidth – print and broadcast – during the past several days to continue to advocate for torture and revise history regarding the fact that none of their torture yielded anything but the denigration of our Constitution and our status among Nations.

While I know it is difficult, and I know how much he wanted to ‘move on,’ the stunningly brazen behavior of Cheney, Rice, Yoo, Rumsfeld, et al – and the undeniable support from the media – to continue to advocate for torture may necessitate President Obama having his AG do what must be done. Until these people are held accountable, the tarnish on our Constitution and our status among Nations will remain compromised.

President Obama is a man of courage in so many ways and he has clearly placed policy and the good of all Americans before politics, repeatedly, during his brief tenure as President. While I may be incorrect, and I’ll certainly always defer to our President’s knowledge of the law and ethics, it seems irrefutably necessary to hold these people accountable.

They complain that GW Bush did not receive due credit for getting OBL. They whine about ‘credit’ but they have never, once, taken responsibility for their illegal war on Iraq, their use of torture, their lying to Americans, etc. If they want credit, they must accept accountability.

No matter how many euphemisms and legal backflips they applied to their smoke and mirrors on torture, a rose is a rose is a rose. They broke the law. Book’um President Obama.

Michael Moore should have his head examined. The best interview I have ever watched in my entire life. I was sitting on the edge of my chair sweating my balls off. Or excuse me I have no balls, i Keep forgetting.

That will be a quote that will live forever in the annals of American history, and it is absolutely correct.

A mass murderer is not someone any person in their right mind would hesitate for a second to eliminate. Done.

And, I can assure you with near 100 % certainty that as those SEALS were undoubtedly shouting in a language that OBL has understood since his childhood – ‘stop, hands up’ – he would have been captured and would now be sleeping in a prison cell awaiting trial.

The one and only person who decided that OBL was going to die that night was OBL. That’s just how our guys do it.

The president is right on the mark! GG, MM, and the rest of the holier than thou progressives, really do need “to have their heads examined!” I am sorry, but I just don’t have any tears to shed for OBL, a man who had no qualms ordering the massacre of thousands of innocent people.

Hi Bobfr, you are one my heroes! I really enjoy reading all your thoughtful and fearless comments on many of the pragmatic sites you post on. I totally agree that “Yes We can….Do. More. Together!” Or as we used to say in the glorious sixties, we must “Keep on Keeping On!”

I JUST FINISHED WATCHING THE PRESIDENT….RIGHT ON AND RIGHT TO THE POINT ON THOSE ANSWERS. I TRULY THINK NEWS ANCHORS GO INTO A PRIVATE SWEAT BEFORE THEY INTERVIEW HIM. PRESIDENT OBAMA IS WAY AHEAD OF THEM!

The juxtaposition of President Obama being interviewed on 60 Minutes and the Bush administration incompetents blanketing the Sunday shows is very revealing. The media was desperate to give them “EQUAL TIME” to peddle their revisionist history about how they handled things and why they should share the credit. But President Obama and his team just makes the Republican Party look like amateurs.

As usual, President Obama answered every question clearly, completely, and intelligently. It was a thing of beauty. He educated and informed the American people with facts. It was riveting to hear him recount what happened from when he first took office until the actual capture of OBL. It was leadership personified.

I would love to have been a fly on the wall watching the Bush administration incompetents watching that flawless interview. You can just imagine the sphincter muscles tightening up big time.

President Obama was so impressive once again—-calm, smart, clear, measured, just the right tone. Everyone who watched had to be thinking how fortunate we are that this person is our President. It is so obvious, it’s flashing bright lights. And those who don’t—-the problem lies within them. They allow their prejudices to cloud their thinking.

I watched Sixty Minutes, one of the things that stood out In my mind was as he was sweating bullets, tensed, and here he’s around his Family, flying here, and flying there, with all this high powered Information on his mind, and probably praying and hoping that things go as planned. Whewwwwwwwwwww, wowwwwwwww. How do you sleep at nights?? or do you sleep?????? I’m just trying to digest and understand all of this. I tell you, there’s nothing WEAK about our President. He had a made up mind of what he had to do, which he said before taking Office. As I was listening too POB tell what It was like as they waited and watched, I was just In AWE, you talking about Risky, now that was Risky Business, Real Risky business. Like Wowwwwww. I’m so very proud of you President Obama, and you are truly Leading and taking care of our Country. Thank you, Mr. President, Thank you 🙂

Just finished watching the 60 minutes interview. Our president is a marvel; strong, compassionate (concerned about the safety of our guys), steely-, nerved and determined. Steve was respectful, but he did try to get the president to say that he did not trust the Pakistanis three times. PBO simply stated that he did not tell some of his most trusted aides about the plan, why would he tell people he does not know. This man is fierce, relentless, and dangerous to those that would do us harm. They now know that he is to be feared.

When Steve listed all of the things that the president did between the time that he gave the order and the kill was confirmed, PBO stated that the presidency requires that you be able to do more than one thing at a time (remember when he said this when Mccain wanted to cancel a debate because of the economic crisis?).

Everyday, I am thankful that we were not cursed with that awful duo of Mccain and Palin. We have a team that gets things done on the domestic and foreign fronts. May God continue to protect them and guide their efforts.

I’m happy to report, I think my Republican dad is now a convert. He watched the President & VP with the 101st the other day & was blown away by both of them. Tonight he insisted on watching the President on 60 Minutes. My mom referred to the President as “your father’s new hero.”

Last week at this time, I had just finished watching Don Lemon (CNN)’s lame interview with Donald Trump. I was not in the best of moods. I actually recall posting a few comments here with others about that lame interview and none of us were happy. Little did we know what was about to transpire…

Great interview by the president/Kroft. Best I’ve ever watched from the president & I’ve seen almost every one of them. Maybe it was the serious subject matter that made it so riveting, but I enjoyed every second of it.

I just finished watching it the 3rd time. Am telling u this interview will be the transcript of a movie. THE BEST INTERVIEW EVER. I Looovvveee this man. Am crazy about him after this interview. I worship his brains.

I was already proud of our magnificent, gifted president. After this 60 minutes interview, I am simply too moved for words. May God continue to bless him and his family for the service he is providing this country.

I wish I could have spent the time of the interview with all of you here but my very dear friend and I watched it while we stayed on the phone with each other. We are so very proud of our President. He did a fantastic job. I could watch this interview a million times and not get tired of it.

I WANT THAT MAN CLONED! He made me weak in the knees. His mind is so brilliant and concise. I guess Steve was waiting for POTUS to answer “why golly gee – I was so scared of making a mistake”, instead he gave logical reasoning behind each decision and stood behind each one – including accepting feedback of all kind from the staff that he put into place. I can’t wait for Chipsticks to post it so I can see it again! Play it again Sam(Chips).

Another thing that I loved about the interview was the one word responses that PBO gave at times. This showed that there were somethings that were obvious and absolute. Steve Croft seemed a bit taken aback.

I checked the CBS news site to check out 60 Minutes Overtime to see if there was more of the interview not included in the broadcast. The photo of PBO that was featured was so shaded that it made him seem much darker than he really is.
This disturbed me because the media will do this to imply that Black men threatening or murderous or some other negative perception. PBO is who he has always been and has done what he said he would do. The problem is with all of those who did not believe that he could and would do this. There is no need to change his physical appearance.

You are over thinking it. Besides, the only people who try make him out to be a gangster or whatever wouldn’t dare try that on this one. They know better than anyone this is one time that would definitely backfire on them.

There is extra video in the 3 separate segments that went to air. They added video of his trip to NY and the Army base which happened after the interview. They also did a bit of editing to add in Obama meeting that 14yo girl who sent him an email. It made the piece even more interesting if that was even possible.

60minutes is probably going to win some kind of news award for this. On a scale of 10 this was an 11.

You are spot-on Fred! This was indeed the interview of all interviews. I really appreciated Steve Croft for his professionalism, letting the President speak without interruption. He also asked serious questions and avoided asking silly GOP talking points that I have seen other interviewers ask the President.

My dear family here, we are so blessed. What an intelligent, clear, precise, and a love for his country and the people he is serving so brilliantly. I am so proud as always of our President. Mr. Kroft had to listen tonight. I have lived through many a Presidents of the United States of America, but I have NEVER seen one with the intelligence that is open, but still able to not carry the “I Am So Much Attitude.” I believe that is what makes us love this President so much. He loves us so much, and he wants to get things done with grace, intellect, compassion, and firmness. He is not there to make checkers. This man plays chess all the time. I am about to watch it all again. I am so grateful to God for this wonderful, very very smart President. Lets enjoy and appreciate him. Let us not be dismayed when the ugly heads rise up, we love our President and we will support him all the way. He certainly has our back. What a brilliant man we have in this President.

Thanks for that HopeFruit, but I can’t even begin to describe how much I loathe the author, Niall O’Dowd. He has been anti-Obama from day one. His brother (a member of parliament in Ireland) supported McCain in the election, presumably on Niall O’Dowd’s prompting. He was the ultimate PUMA – Hillary or McCain! – who opposed Barack Obama every step of the way. He was a Clinton devotee, a professional ‘Clinton-ite’, who hated BHO because he wouldn’t play along with O’Dowd’s pathetic Irish American ‘top of the morning’ bullshit.

And now he’s praising the President because his Irish visit is coming up and O’Dowd wants to be bang in the middle of it. I always loathed him, then I read this book….

Thanks for letting us know about this Chipsticks. Yes, he is a contemptible piece of crap to write that drivel. I had no idea what a character this guy was – otherwise I would not have posted stuff from him here!! I guess he now wants to jump on the President’s bandwagon…hmmm..

Hi everyone. I hope all the mothers had a wonderful day today. I also loved this interview. I will say that Steve Croft and President Obama go way back. Back to the days when President Obama was in the Illinois State Senate, and followed him to the US Senate doing interviews with him. Check out youtube for the interviews Steve Croft did the day before President Obama announced he was running for President. Also one while on the campaign trail he gave the speech in I think it was Germany. And one while he was President-Elect. President Obama and Steve always challenge each other with every interview.

I was not surprised at anything Steve asked, because he is very good at what he does. Let me go and see if I can find the other interviews they have done together, I’ll post the links. This one will go down in the history books. 🙂

I did not know posting the link to the videos would make the video appear. I’m sitting here with my mouth hanging open LOL anyway go to youtube and put ” Steve Croft and President Obama interviews ” in their search engine, you will get a whole page of them.

I am not enjoying the words “this movie requires adobe flash player” for this 60 minute interview above cause then it is not iPad possible. I’m too cheap to pay the 4.99 or whatever it was for the 60 minute app so I’ll just wait until tomorrow. From what you are all saying this 60 minute interview sounds incredible! It’ll be such a treat in the morning. I look forward to it!

Thanks for the video Chips. Watched it twice already. What can I say – a thinking man’s president! “Worship his brains too” Me4Obama LOL. And I am thankful that he has such a great and loyal team – that nothing was leaked.

Well, that was SUPERB! I did feel uncomfortable when the interviewer asked if he had told Michelle about what was happening. I do not think that should have been asked to begin with. I was relived later in the interview when PBO added he had NOT told his family. Did any one watch Andy Rooney? I see that he spoke on OBL’s death last night, but I am kind of afriad to watch the video as he is such a whiner!